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2 Sheets-Sheet L D. D. HARDY.

STEAM ENGINE.

(No Model.)

No. 313,728. Patented Mar. 1o, 1885 mmm m" N. PETERS, lnoxu-Lilhugmplm.wnihingmmux;

(No Model.)

D. D. HARDY.

STEAM ENGINE.

2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

Patented Mar. 10, 1885.

Y @6195117 ey,

l l l t l g open at their ends adjacent to the euml;

Mauren dramas Ferarri* @tric-a,

DEXTER D. HARDY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGOR TO ROBERT II.

COVDREY, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 313,728, dated March10, 1885.

Ap] lication tiled May 1, 1884.

T0 allY whom it may concern:

Beit known that l, DEXTER D. HARDY, of Chicago, in the county of Cookand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to an improved construction in steam-engines, andhas reference more especially to improvements in the valves for suchengines; and the invention consists in the matters hereinafter describedand pointed out in the claims.

The engine herein illustrated as embodying one form of my invention isprovided with four cylinders arranged at equal distances apart aroundthe center of a crank-shaft having a single crank, thepistons in theopposite cylinders being rigidly connected with yokes having transverseslots with which the crankpin is engaged. The cylinders are preferablyand steam is admitted at the outer ends of the cylinders only, thesteanrpressure being arranged to operate in alternation upon theopposite rigidly-connected pistons. The valve for controlling theadmission of steam to the several cylinders, as herein shown, embodiesimproved features of construction that will hereinafter be described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central vertical section ofa steam-engine embodying one form of my invention, taken upon line fr xof Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken upon line xa; of Fig. l. Fig. 8 is a section taken upon line yy of Fig. 2, showingthe valve controlling the admission of steam to the several cylindersand its seat. Fig. 4t is a section taken upon line .e z of Fig. 2,illustrating devices for reversing the engine.`

As shown in Figs. l and 2, A A' are two pairs of opposite cylindersarranged at equal distances apart about a single drivingshaft, B, saidcylinders being located radially with reference to the axis ef saidshaft. In the form of engine herein shown the cyiinders A (No model.)

and A' are cast integral with the walls A2 of a central box or chamber,A, within which a crank, B', upon the shaft B is located, and the in thecasting A2, one end of the shaft being arranged to pass outwardlythrough the bear-V ing b,which is provided with asuitable packing` toprevent the escape of steam.

The cylinders A and A' are provided with pistons C and C', respectively,the said pistons being rigidly attached to short pistonrods c c',whichare rigidly secured at their inner ends to yokes D and D', havingtransverse slots or apertures cl d', which are engaged by the crank-pinb2, secured in crankdisks B upon the crankshaft. The crank-pin ispreferably fitted in bearingblocks E and E', constructed to slide in theslots d d' in the yokes D and D', each of said blocks, as herein shown,consisting of two parts, e e and c' e', which are held in contact withthe pin by being held within the slot of the yoke. rIhe blocks E E' may,however, be made in one piece and slipped on the end of the crank-pin,or said blocks may be made in two pieces and bolted or otherwisefastened together so as to form a single block.

The inner ends of the cylinders A and A', as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 3and preferably constructed, are in open communication with the chamberA3 in which the crank B' is located, and the several pistons areactuated by the admission of steam to the several cylinders successivelyin such manner that each pair operates alternately upon the crankpin ina direction at right angles to each other. The opposite pistons C andG'in the construction described being rigidly connected by means of thepiston-rods c c' and the yokes D and D', each opposite pair of pistonswill operate, as far as the action of the steam is concerned, as onepiston-that is to say, the opposite pairs of pistons will be moved inone direction by the pressure of steam in the outer end of one cylinder,and in the other direction by the pressure in the outer end of theopposite cyll.

inder.

IOO

-By arranging the cylinders and pistons in l passage, as desired, inorder to enable the dithev manner above described, the importantadvantage is gained that stuffing-boxes for the piston-rods are entirelydispensed with, the only packing connected with the cylinders being thatupon the pistons. In the construction described there will obviously beno steampressure in the chamber A3, and the packing shown in the bearingb', through which the shaft passes to the outsidev of the chamber, isnot essential, but is merely used to prevent the escape around theshaft-bearing of steam that may accidentally enter the said chamber.

f inders.

As an improved construction in steam-valves for engines adapted for usewith one or more steam-cylinders, and when said cylinders are or are notarranged as herein shown, a valve is herein illustrated, which isconstructed as In the casting A2, ata point adjacent to the bearing b,at the inner end ofthe shaft B, is located a valve-chamber, F,which ispreferably circular in form and concentric with said shaft, and isprovided with opposite parallel plane sides forming valve-seats F' andF2,which are arranged in planes at right angles to the axis of theshaft, the valve-seat F' being located at the side of the chamberadjacent to the cyl- Suitable steam-passages, G and G',

are formed at the sides of the cylinders A and A', and in the castingA2, said passages tei-,

minating at their inner ends in ports q and g', formed in the valve-seatF' at equal distances from the axis of the shaft B, as clearly shown inFig. 3. Within the chamber F and operating in contact with the oppositevalve-seats,

`F' and F2, is placed a valve, H, Figs. 2 and 3,

" said valve consisting of an outer annular portion or open ring, H',fitted closely at its edges to the valve-seats F' and F2, and joined bymeans of arms h to a central part or hub," H2, which is provided with acentral cylindrical aperture, h', which is placed over acorrespondingly-shaped pin, B3, attached eccentrically to the end of theshaft B, which extends through the bearing b into the said chamber F. Bythis construction it is obvious that when said shaft B is rotated thevalve H will have a continuous revolving or gyratory motionabout theaxis of the shaft, so as to bring the parts g and r/ alternately intocommunication with the steam-inlet and exhaust-passages of the chamberF, as hereinafter more particularly described.

Steam is admitted to the chamber FeXterior to the ring H' by aninlet-passage, I, and is permitted to escape from the chamber by meansof a passage, J, entering the central part of the chamber within thesaid ring, the passages I and J, as shown, being formed in a plate orhead, A5, forming the bearing-surface or valve-seat F2 opposite thevalve-seat F'. The passages I andJ, as herein shown, terminate in portsi and j, formed in a valve-chamber, K, which is provided with a slidevalve, L, that operates to bring either of said ports into communicationwith the inlet or exhaust rection ofthe inotion ofthe engine to bereadily reversed, as hereinafter more particularly set forth. The saidpassages I and J may, however, be connected with suitable pipes, so thatthey will themselves form the inlet and eX- haust passages to thevalve-chamber F; or the inlet and exhaust passages may be otherwiseconnected with the said valve-chamber, as, for instance, is illustratedin dotted lines in Fig. 2, in which an annular passage (indicated at J)is formed in the casting A2, upon the side of the chamber adjacent tothe cylinders, said annular passage being connected with a pipe(indicated at J2) which may serve either as a steam supply or exhaustpipe, and in which a separate passage, I', operating in connection withthe passage indicated at J'either as an inlet or exhaust, is alsoindicated in dotted lines as entering the side wall of the chamber F.When the steam inlet and exhaust passages communicate directly with thechamber F, as last described and indicatedl in dotted lines in Fig. 2,means for reversing the engine may be entirely dispensed with, or saidpassages may communicate with a fourway cock arranged to bring either ofthem into communication with the steam-supply pipe, as desired.

The ring H', before mentioned as forming partof the valve H, is made ofthe same width or thickness in both of its opposite bearingfaces, sothat itwill have the same area of contact with both valve-seats, F andF', and is preferably provided with a separate packingringJ, constructedto form a steam-tight joint between the Valve and the sides of thechamber. Said packing-ring may vbe of any wellknown or preferredconstruction-as, for instance, nietal or other springs may be applied tohold the said packing-ring and the ring H in contact with the oppositevalve-seats, or a steam-packing may be formed by the entrance of steambetween thepacking-ring and the adjacent part of the valve inawell-known manner.

An important advantage of the construction by which the valve isconstructed with an annular portion, H', constructed to operate incontact with the opposite parallel valve-seats F' and Fz of the chamberF is, that the snrfaces of the said annular port which are in contactwith the opposite valve-seats being the same, the steam-pressure has notendency to press the valve against either seat, and aperfectly-balanced valve is thereby obtained.

The part H' of the valve H is made of such diameter, and the ports g g'are so located with reference thereto that when th/e pin B3 is at onelimit of its throw with reference to the two opposite ports, as g, oneof said ports will be outside of the ring and in communication with thesteam-space of the chamber exterior thereto, and the opposite port willbe within the ring and in communication `with the space formed by theannular passagebetween said ring and the hub H2, this position IIO ofthe parts being clearly illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The motion of thegyratory valve II obviously has no effect upon the inlet and out-- letpassages I and J, one of said passages beingconstantlyincommnnicationwith thespace within said annular valve, and the other ofsaid passages with the space ofthe valvechamber exterior thereto.

In the operation of the valve described in connection with the form ofengine herein illustrated, the gyratory movement of the valve operatesto open and close the several ports communicatin g with the ends of thecylinders successively, and the ports are so constructed and locatedthat as soon as one piston is given its forward movement and has carriedthe crank-pin past the dead-center, steam will be admitted behind thepiston at right angles thereto, and cause such piston to operate withthe piston first mentioned, to carry the crank-pin through the quadrantlying between the axial lilies of the two adjacent cylinders. Theoperation of the said gyratory valve is the same with reference to allfour of the ports shown in the drawings, and it is therefore obviouslypossible to arrange any number of pairs ot' ports around the axis ofrotation of the valve to operate in connection with the said valve,according to the number of cylinders it is desired to group about asingle shaft. A single pair of ports will operate equally well inconnection with the valve show n, and such valve may therefore beadvantageously used in connection with a single steam cylinder, and inthe latter case the valve may be operated by a pin upon the crank-shaft,as herein shown, or by suitable intermediate driving-connections, aspreferred.

In case an annular passage or port,` J', is used, as indicated in dottedlines in Fig. 2, such passage will obviously be constantly incommunication at some point in its circumference with the space insideof the ring H in the same manner as is the passage J shown in full linesin said iigure.

The ports g and g may be of any shape found desirable to properly admitthe steam to the cylinders. As herein shown, however, the outlines ofsaid ports are formed upon curves disposed in a manner calculated tocause said ports to be entirely opened and shut by a relatively slightmovement of the valve. For this purpose, the outer margins of theapertures forming the ports are preferably formed of two short arcs, g2,arranged approximately parallel with the periphery of the ring H whenthe port is covered by the ring, as illustrated in the case of the portsg shown in Fig. 3, and portions of the inner margins of the ports areformed upon lines (ji approximately concentric with the inner surface ofthe ring H when the ring is in position to cover the ports, as alsoshown in the case of the ports g shown in Fig. 3.

It is obviously not essential that the gyratory valve above describedshould be operated directly from the crank-shaft ofthe engine, and thevalve-chamber F may be otherwise located than as herein shown, and thevalve operated by any suitable connection with the driving-shaft. Byactuating the valve directly from the shaft, however, an exceedinglycheap and simple construction in the engine is obtained, and an accurateopersurfaces, and a perfect joint thereby constantly maintained betweenthe valve and its seat.

rIhe hub H2 ofthe valve H is preferably titted closely to the valve-seatF in its portion around the shaft B, so as to prevent the escape ofsteam from the chamber F through the bearing of the shaft. The oppositeside of the said hub may be extended so as to come in contact `with theseat F2, but a space is desirably left between the hub and the seat,soas to avoid the friction which would be consequent upon the contact ofthe parts mentioned, and to allow the free movement of steam within thevalve.

The means for reversing the engine, consisting of the valve-chamber Kand slide-Valve L operating in connection with the passages I and J, ashereinbefore mentioned, forms the subject-matter of another applicationfor patent hereafter to be made by me, and is herein claimed only inconnection with the gyratory valve described. The contruction of thisdevice and its operation in connection with the said gyratory valve maybe briefly described, as follows: The slide-valve L is ot' rectangularform and provided with four walls iitted at their edges to oppositevalve-seats L and L, formed in the chamber K, spaces being left betweenthe sides of the slide-valve and the side walls of the chamber, asclearly shown in Fig. 4, to permit the passage of steam from one end ofthe chamber to the other around the valve. The said val veis, as shown,operated by means of a stem, Z, extending th rough a suitablestuiiing-box, 7c, in the Wall of the ehamberl, and is held in positionby suitable parallel guidesJt, at either side ofthe seats L' and L2ofthe chamber. The steam-inlet passage Mis connected with the centralpart ofthe chamber, so as to remain constantly in communication with theinterior of the valve L, and the steam-exhaust passage N is connectedwith said chamber in its portion exterior to the valve. The passages Iand J terminate in ports i and j, formed in the valve-seat L', and thevalve L is constructed with transverse end portions, located at the samedis- IOO IIO

tance apart as the ports t' and j, so that by moving the valve adistance equal to the width of one of the ports plus the thickness ofone l M, and said passage I thus forms the inletpassage to thevalve-chamber of the engine, and the passage J is in connection with theexhaust-pipe N and thus forms the exhaustpassage. By moving the valve Lin the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 4, the functions ofthe passages I and J are reversed, the passage I being brought intocommunication with the exhaust-pipe N and the passage J with theinlet-passage M.

The advantages of. the reversing-valve described, when used inconnection with the gyratory valve, are obvious, the important one beingthe simplicit-y and cheapness of construction thereby obtained.

It will be observed that the valve L, having equal bearingfaces upon theopposite valve-seats L and L2, is perfectly balanced, and has notendency to press upon one scat more than upon the other, the valve Loperating, as far as this feature of construction is concerned,substantially in the manner before described in connection with thegyratory valve herein shown.

In order to provide means for gaining access to the interior of thechamber A2 of the tofore' been used for controlling the admission ofsteam to several cylinders grouped around a common shaft,which extendsthrough the valve-chamber, and by which the said `valve is actuated, andAI do not therefore claim, broadly, such a construction; but myinvention, as it relates to the parts above mentioned, is limited to aconstruction in which the shaft extends th rough one wall only of thevalve-chamber, and is provided with a crank-pin engaged with the valve,as set forth in the second claim hereto appended.

One particular advantage of the construction last mentioned isvthat thevalve may thereby remain accurately in position between Y theoppositevalve-seats, notwithstanding any slight change in the positionof the shaft caused by the bearings thereof getting out of line orotherwise, for the reason that the valve is held in position' and guidedby the valve-seats, the crank-pin usually being made relatively shortand slightly rounded, so as to permit the said valve to freely adjustitself in its bearings, and to thereby run between the latter withoutbinding. Additional advantages of .this construction are that theresistance due to the frictional contact of the moving parts is muchlessened by the use of a crank-pin instead of an eccentric upon theshaft, and that the construction is rendered much more simple than thatheretofore used and above referred to by the absence of a steam-packingaround the crank-shaft at the outer wall of the valve-chamber.

I claim as my invention- A l. The combination, with the crank-shaft o Ia steam-engine, and a cylinder provided with a suitable piston andpiston-rod, of a valvechamber, an annular gyra-tory valve, H, 1ocatedwithin said chamber, driving-connections for actuating the valve fromthe crankshaft, ports in the said valve-chamber communicating bysuitable passages with the said cylinder, and located at equal distancesfrom the center of motion'of the valve, au auxiliary valve-chamber, K, acentrally-open slide-valve within said chamber K, ports t' and j, insaid chamber K, communicating by suitable passages with saidvalve-chamber F, in its portion inside of and exterior to the saidannular valve, and suitable steam inlet and exhaust passagescommunicating with the said chamber K, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a steam-engine crank-shaft, of two or moreradially-arranged steam-cylinders provided with suitable pistons andpiston-rods having operative connection with the crank-pin of the shaft,a valve-chamber provided with opposite parallel valve-seats arrangedparallel with the axes of the cylinders, steam-ports g and g in saidchamber, located at equal distances from the axis of the crank-shaft andcommunicating with the said cylinders, steam inlet and exhaust passagescommunicating with the said valve-chamber,and an annular gyratory valve,H, constructed to operate in connection with the saidports, the saidcrank-shaft being arranged to extend through one wall of thevalvechamber only,and having upon its end a crankpin, B3, engaged withand constructed to actuate the said valve, substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

3. The combination, with a steam-engine cylinder and crank-shaft, of avalve-chamber, F, having opposite parallel valve-seats, and providedwith ports g, communicating with the cylinder, a shaft, B, provided withan eccentric or crank pin, B3, and a valve, H, comprising a central hub,H3, having an aperture, h, engaged with the pin B3 and annular por. tionH, and arms h, connecting said annular portion with the said hub,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination, with a steam-engine cylinder and a Crank-shaftprovided with a cylindrical crank-pin, B3, of a valve-chamber, F, havingopposite parallel vulve-seats and provided with ports communicating withthe cylinder, and an annular gyratory valve, H, oonstruoted to Work inContact with the opposite valve-seats, and provided With an aperture,h', fitted to the crank-pin, whereby the valve may freely rotate on saidpin, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the steam-cylinder and crankshaft of asteam-engine, ofa valve-chamber, F, having1 opposite parallelvalve-seats, and provided with ports communieating1 With the cylinder,an annular gyratory valve, H, constructed to Work in Contact Intestimony that I claim the foregoing as my 25 invention, I affix mysignature in presence of two Witnesses.

DEXTER D. HARDY.

Witnesses:

M. E. DAYTON, J nssn GoX, J r.

